Silver Linings (Collier’s Creek Christmas)

BONUS SCENE - Tommy

Cam

I swear under my breath as the frame slips before I can secure the bolt to hold the two pieces together. It’s an unseasonally warm day but the late May breeze cools my skin. Nearby, Tommy giggles as he digs in the sandbox, his Bluey T-shirt streaked with peanut butter and other remnants of his lunch. The kid sure is a messy eater. I chuckle and focus back on the task at hand, but it’s next to impossible to align the posts correctly. “Damn.”

“Need a hand there, handyman?” Greg’s amused voice pulls my attention from the scattered swing set parts. He crosses the yard, two water bottles in one hand and Tommy’s red cup in the other.

I chuckle as I straighten. “Very funny. I’ve almost got this… I think.”

“Looks like those instructions are getting the better of you.” Greg grins as he hands me a water bottle, the cool condensation a relief against my palm.

“Hey, bite your tongue!” I protest but can’t hide my smile. “I’ll have you know I’m making great progress.”

Greg shakes his head, laughing as he walks over to hand Tommy his cup. Our little boy looks up, his auburn hair peeking out from under his hat, freckled cheeks stretched in a toothy smile. “Tanks, Papa!”

“You’re welcome, little man.” Greg adjusts his cap before coming to plop down on the grass beside me.

I set the water bottle aside and lean back on my hands, surveying our handiwork in the garden. The garden beds have a layer of fresh mulch, and the raised beds are full of tiny seedlings—carrots, radishes, and lettuce that I planted last weekend.

Greg follows my gaze. “It’s really coming together, isn’t it? Our little piece of paradise.”

I nod, warmth blooming in my chest that has nothing to do with the afternoon sun. My paradise isn’t the freshly mown lawn and weedless garden. It’s Greg looking at Tommy, his blue eyes full of pure adoration.

This beautiful boy with his bright smile and big heart, has made us a family. He’s made our house a home. I still can’t quite believe he’s ours, that the universe led him to us.

“What are you thinking about?” Greg asks quietly. “You’ve got that look.”

“Just… how lucky we are,” I murmur, voice thick with emotion. “To have Tommy, to have each other.”

“I know,” Greg says, resting his head on my shoulder. “We are so damn lucky.”

For a long moment, we sit there next to each other. Tommy’s happy babbling and the distant chirping of birds are the only sounds, a soundtrack to this perfect day. Almost perfect. Today’s the day that could make or break our little family. A clicker of unease stirs in my chest.

“Cam?”

I realize Greg’s said my name and probably not for the first time. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“What if something goes wrong?” I whisper, hating the tremble in my voice.

I glance at him, seeing my own concern mirrored in his eyes. We’ve been down this road before, the rollercoaster of hope and uncertainty, first with the surrogacy process, then getting approval to be foster parents. So much has gone our way, it feels like it’s time for our bubble to burst.

“Maybe we should have been there.”

“Hey, none of that.” Greg says. “The attorney advised us to stay home with Tommy, remember? She said our presence wasn’t necessary, that it would be better for us to carry on with our normal routine. We have to trust her expertise on this.”

“What if they change their minds, or the judge doesn’t approve the adoption?”

Greg reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers together. “We can’t think like that, Cam. We’ve done everything right. The home study, the interviews, the paperwork. Tommy belongs with us.”

I nod, trying to let his confidence soothe my frayed nerves, but the fear is coiled tight in my gut. “I just… I can’t lose him, Greg. Not after everything he’s been through. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

My mind drifts to those early days, when Tommy first came to us. A tiny, broken boy, so starved for love and affection that it physically hurt to look at him. His mother, barely more than a child herself, dead in a senseless accident. His father, a faceless name on a birth certificate, unwilling to step up and be the parent Tommy needed.

“He’s already lost so much,” I murmur, watching as Tommy darts across the grass, reaching for a ball. “His mom, his dad… He didn’t ask for any of this.”

Greg pulls me close. “I know, babe. But that’s why he has us. We’re his family now. We’re going to give him the life he deserves, with all the love and stability and happiness in the world.”

I lean into him, drawing strength from his solid presence. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. I just… I can’t help but worry.”

“I know.” Greg presses a kiss to my temple. “But you, me, and Tommy. We belong together. We’re a team.”

I take a deep breath, letting his words wash over me. “A family.”

“And soon to be an even bigger one,” Greg says.

“I like the sound of that.”

We watch as Tommy finally reaches the ball. His smile is wide as he picks it up, unaware of my mini-meltdown about his future. I could sit and watch him play all day, but I can’t ignore the unfinished swing set forever. With a sigh, I press a kiss to Greg’s temple and reluctantly pull away. “Alright, break’s over. This thing won’t assemble itself.”

“Sure you don’t want me to take a crack at it?” Greg teases as I grab the instructions again. “My knitting group says I’m pretty good at following patterns.”

I huff a laugh. He still can’t knit much more than a basic knit-one purl-one let alone follow a knitting pattern. I shoot him a playful glare. “Very cute. But I’ve got this, trust me.”

“Uh huh. I’ve heard that before…”

I don’t complain as he comes and lends me a hand. Our back-and-forth continues as we work side by side.

“Alright, let’s see here,” Greg mumbles, squinting at the page of the instructions I’ve handed over. “It says we need to attach piece A to piece B using the provided bolts and washers.”

I rummage through the scattered parts, holding up a long metal bar. “Is this piece A or piece C?”

Greg laughs, plucking the bar from my hand. “That’s definitely piece C, babe.”

“Oh, right. I knew that.” I grin and hand him the correct piece. “See, this is why I keep you around. You’re the brains of this operation.”

“And here I thought it was for my rugged good looks and charm,” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

We work together, falling into an easy rhythm of banter and laughter as we slowly but surely bring the swing set to life. Tommy darts around us, offering his own enthusiastic “help” by handing us random pieces and his little face scrunched in concentration. Putting the swing set together is a frustrating task, but I wouldn’t trade a single second if it means having my two boys by my side.

A short while later Greg’s phone rings, the sound jarring in the peaceful afternoon. He drags it from his pocket and meets my eyes, keeping them on me as the phone continues to ring. I nod and he presses the answer button, bringing it to his ear.

“Hello?” His voice is steady, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.

I watch him intently, trying to decipher the one-sided conversation. Greg’s responses are brief, a series of “yes” and “I understand.” After what feels like an eternity, he looks up at me and beams, his face alight with joy.

“Thank you so much,” he says into the phone, his voice thick with emotion. “Yes, we’ll be in contact soon. This is amazing.”

He hangs up and I’m by his side in an instant, my heart pounding. “Well? What did they say?”

Greg takes a shaky breath, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “That was the adoption attorney. Tommy’s birth father has voluntarily given up his rights. The judge reviewed our case and formally terminated the parental rights.”

For a moment, I can only stare at him, the words slowly sinking in. Then, with a whoop of pure elation, I launch myself into Greg’s arms, nearly knocking him off balance. We cling to each other, laughing and crying in equal measure.

“There’s still paperwork and procedures to go through,” Greg murmurs into my shoulder. “But we’re one step closer, Cam. One step closer to Tommy being ours forever.”

We both turn to look at Tommy. We watch as he runs across the grass. He stumbles and falls, only to pick himself up with a determined little grunt and keep on running. “He’s a fighter, our boy. Just like his dads.”

Greg chuckles and wipes at his eyes. “That he is. And soon, he’ll be ours officially. No more foster status, no more uncertainty. Our son, forever and always.”

“Forever and always,” I echo. “I can’t wait for that day, Greg. The day we can finally breathe easy, knowing he’s ours and no one can take him away.”

“It’s coming, Cam. I can feel it. We just have to hold on a little longer. This is our happy ending, our forever family.”

Our family.

I think of Madi nurturing the tiny life that will make our family complete. In a few short months, Tommy will be a big brother. My heart feels like it might burst from the sheer abundance of love.

“Hey,” Greg says softly, drawing me from my thoughts and wrapping his arms around me. “You with me?”

“I’m just so happy. I still can’t believe it.” I sniff as the tears that have threatened to fall finally give way.

Greg’s lips tilt in a smile. “I know. Oh my God. It’s happening.”

I pull back just enough to frame his face with my hands, my thumbs brushing away the wetness streaking his cheeks. “I love you so much,” I whisper fiercely. “I love our family.”

Greg leans in, his forehead pressing against mine. “I love you too. More than anything.”

We stay like that until a small voice pipes up beside us. “Papa? Why you crying?”

Greg laughs and scoops Tommy up into his arms, spinning him around until he giggles with delight. “Because we’re so happy, little man. So, so happy.”